Brutti Praesentes, Lazio

The Roman villa of Bruttii Praesentes is located in the area called Madonna dei Colori, 53km north east of Rome in the central part of the Sabina on the southwest slope of Monte Calvo amongst the gently rolling hills overlooking the River Tiber. The villa, belonging to the Bruttii Praesentes; a senatorial family related by marriage to the emperor Commodus, is built on a terrace above the course of the ancient via Salaria.

The survey, carried out in May 2004, was undertaken on behalf of Dott.ssa Giovanna Alvino of the Soprintendenza Archeologica per il Lazio who financed the work, and represented a small-scale preliminary trial to test the capabilities of magnetometer and resistivity surveys with respect to this site. The survey was undertaken with the aim of locating and mapping the remains of sub-surface archaeological features in the immediate vicinity of the recent excavations of the villa.

The excellent results of the geophysical survey demonstrated that the Roman remains were substantial and that the villa of the Bruttii Praesentes may be considered to be part of a much larger and extensive complex whose importance will have been enhanced by its proximity to the via Salaria.